Bathroom fixture



I Dec. 23, 1941.

M. SHAPIRO BATHROOM FIXTURE Filed Feb. 20, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 23, 1941. s o 2,267,618

. BATHROOM FIXTURE Filed Feb. 20, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a A nlliillllll Patented Dec. 23, 1941 OFFICE mrnaoom mum Morris Shapiro. New York, N. Y. Application February to, 1941, Serial No. auto claim. (01. 4-2) (Granted under the act of amended April 30, 1928;

The invention described herein may be manuiactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon in accordance with the provisions of the act of April 30, 1928 (ch. 460, 45 Stat. L. 467).

This invention pertains to a bathroom fixture and more -particularly to a combination of a bathtub, water closet and lavatory connected to common piping which piping is provided as a unit of the combination and is accessibly concealed between the wall of the bathtub and front apron thereof. i

Heretoiore, it has been the conventional practice to separately supply and separately install, with separate soil or waste, vent and water piping, the bathroom fixtures consisting of a bathtub, water closet and lavatory.

The present invention aims to provide a combination which will conserve space and reduce the amount and cost of plumbing heretofore required, minimize the amount of piping to be performed in the dwelling as well as the cost and time for installation and repair, further conserve space by the elimination of exposed piping and supports for the various fixtures, and otherwise render a small bathroom more conveniently serviceable and more readily cleaned.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the combination of parts and details of construction described hereafter and finally pointed out in the appended claims. Certain embodiments having the characteristics of the, invention and by practiced being illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a combined bathtub, water closet and lavatory, incorporating the invention, as it would appear installed and connected to common piping which is accessibly concealed:

Figure 2, a perspective illustrating a modified type of one element of the combination, namely, the lavatory;

Figure 3, a plan view of the embodiment illustrated in perspective in Figure 1;

Figure 4, an elevational view of the Figures 1 and 3 embodiment with the front access panel or apron oi the tub and the water closet removed to illustrate the common piping arrangement of the combined fixtures; and

Figures 5 and 6, sections in elevation taken at lines 55 and 6-6, respectively of Figure 3.

The objects of the invention may be accomwhich the same may be tending Free access to the space or compartment I! be- Mia-en a, last, as m o. o. m)

trative purposes and which comprise a bathtub l0 having a front apron or panel ll spaced from the front wall of the tub proper and exfrom the rim of the tub to the floor.

tween the tub wall and panel ll may be making the panel in one or more removable sections. The rim of the tub is utilized as a support for a lavatory l3 to eliminate the customary wall or floor supports for this fixture and to conserve bathroom space by occupying an otherwise idle space. The lavatory may be formed as an integral continuation of the tub, or rim thereof, or may be separately formed and secured upon the rim of the tub by any conventional means.

A portion of theidle space within the double walls of a lavatory is utilized as a reservoir It or a housing for a reservoir, commonly termed a flush tank, for the flushing of the water closet I! which is positioned in a manner rearwardly abutting or otherwise in contiguous arrangehad by 1 ment with the panel ll of the tub. By this but need not be secured thereto.

type which necessitates securing the arrangement the fiush tank is amply elevated and the utilization of at least a portion of the idle space between the double walls of the lavatory eliminates the necessity of a separate flush tank as an additional bathroom fixture, and also eliminates the usual wall or other supporting means for this conventional fixture.

However, when using a flush valve (not shown) for water closets, rather than a storage flush tank, the tub-supported lavatory may be of such form as shown in Figure 2. In the flush tank type. which may have the usual supply control valve (not shown), access to the tank may be had by the provision of a removable cover I6 and the stored supply of water may be released by any suitable and conveniently located means such as a flush control device H seen at the side of the tank-contained lavatory. The water closet I5 is preferably associated with the tub in a manner whereby it may be mainly supported on the floor of the bathroom The water closet rather than being of the bottom outlet water closet to the floor for good connection with a vertical disposed soil stack, is preferably of the horizontally discharging type which may be secured in position by the soil stack disposed horizontally plished by the embodiments selected for illusand rearwardly of the water closet and within the space l2 between the tub wall and apron II.

The piping,- referred to generally by reference I8, is assembled as a unit of the various shown in Figures 4 and 5,

connection of additional fixtures, for

2 combined fixtures and is disposed within the compartment l2 between the apron and wall of the tub. More specifically, the piping provided, as a unit of the combined assembly for ready installation, includes waste and soil branches is, 20 and 2i extending from the water closet, lavatory and bathtub respectively, into connection with a common section of soil stack 22 adapted to be connected to an installed soil stack or house drain of a building. This arrangement eliminates multiple connections to the installed soil stack of a building and reduces the installation operation to the making of a single connection. The common section of soil stack 22 may be vertically disposed for connection to the end of an installed house drain branch 23 terminating within the floor area of the bathroom, as or may be horizontally to a soil stack which of the fix as is the disposed for connection may pass along the end or the side tures, or within the wall of a room, usual practice. also be provided with plugged outlets for the example those which may be located in an adjacent room I or apartment.

A common section of piping for connecting the various cold water supply leads of the fixtures, by one connection, to a water supply conduit is even eliminated by the present combination since but a single cold water supply pipe is required for serving the 3 water using fixtures, that is, the lavoratory, tub and flush tank. This is accomplished by the arrangement of the fixtures and the provision of a water lead 2 extending from a position for ready connection to a supply conduit and thence upwardly through the rim of the tub to the faucet 25. From the lead 26 a short pipe extends to the usual automatic valve of, the flush tank. Water maybe supplied to both the lavatory and the tub by a rotatable or swivelled spigot 28.

The hot water lead 21 is similarly a single element for supplying the lavatory and tub and need only extend from the faucet 25 to a point of connection to the main hot water supply line. To further reduce the amount of piping the hot and cold water leads may be connected to a section of dual-passageway piping extending from the faucets as shown in the drawings.

A lead 28 from the flush tank to the water closet is of course also necessary in the present combination unless a flush valve is employed in lieu of a tank. Also, if required or desired, a short section of vent stack 28, leading from the section of soil stack 22 to an appropriate point for connection to a ventline 30 may be provided. By this arrangement, separate vent lines of the branch wastes of the tub; lavatory and water closet are eliminated.

Thus it will be seen that the combination possesses and accomplishes a considerable number of advantages and results over conventional bathroom fixtures. Among such advantages is the. completeness of the assembly ready for installation; simplicity in installation, requiring a minimum of time and effort, for making a single soil connection a single cold water connection, a single hot water connection, and a single vent pipe connection; the conventional wall or floor supports and connections of lavatories, flush tanks, and water closets, as'well as exposed supply and exhaust connections are The soil stack section 22 may therefore are compact for the conservation of aaeaoie space and are conveniently arranged for use; surfaces to be cleaned are reduced to a minimum and obstructions to cleaning, such as supports and leads, are eliminated; unsightly plumbing and supports are concealed yet readily accessible for repairs or inspection and are conveniently arranged for the concentration of efforts in repair. Uniformity in the plumbing. elements eliminates the usual cutting and fitting operations for the installation of the fixtures and the assembly of the unit which may be done by the manufacturer. The advantages also include simplicity in crating and shipping a partially assembled or one combined article as distinguished from a plurality of separate bathroom fixtures; reduction in cost and material in manufacture; reducing to a minimum the vast number of tools and equipment necessary for the installatlon'of conventional fixtures of the character; obviating opportunities of violating plumbing codes or making unsanitary installations and eliminating the necessity of scrutinizing and exercising care in the compliance with such codes, which need only be observed by the manufacturer rather than the plumber; and other advantages apparent from the foregoing consideration.

Having described my invention and illustrated embodiments by which it may be practiced, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a bathtub having a normally concealed yet accessible space within a wall thereof, a lavatory positioned upon the rim and supported by the walls of said bathtub as the sole pedestal therefor, a normally concealed yet accessible reservoir within a wall of the lavatory, a water closet extending from said bath-- tub wall and having a pedestal adapted to support said water closet upon a floor, a section of soil stack adapted to be connected with the house drain of a building, waste branches extending from said bathtub, lavatory and water closet, respectively, and merging into said section of soil stack, a water supply branch extending from said lavatory and adapted to be connected to the water supply line of a building, a water connection between said water supply branch and flush tank and another between said flush tank and water closet, and a spigot connecting said water supply branch capable of supplying water to the lavatory and bathtub, said section of soil stack, waste branches, supply branch, and connections all being housed within and emanating from the space within said bathtub wall.

2. A unit of bathroom equipment including a bathtub, a water-closet in abutting relation with said bathtub, a lavatory located upon the rim of said bathtub, a flush tank within the walls of said lavatory, a manifold section of soil stack connecting said bathtub, water closet, and lavatory, said common soil stack section adapted to be connected to an installed house drain, a single section of cold water pipe extending from said lavatory and adapted to beconnected to an installed water supply pipe, a faucet connecting said cold water section and having a spigot for serving both the bathtub and lavatory, said cold water section being tapped for supplying water to said flush tank, and a connection between said flush tank and water closet, all of said soil and supply piping being concealed within the walls of said bathtub, lavatory and water closet. I

3. In combination with a tub member having a recessed tub portion,fe rim and a front apron for said tub member extending from said rim in spaced relation with respect to said recessed g 2,287,618 portion and providing a piping compartment I compartment through said rim and front apron at the mounting and abutting points of the lavatory and closet and connected therewith, soil and waste pipe branches extending respectively from the closet and lavatory within the walls thereof thence through said rim and front apron at said mounting and abutting points into said water-closet abuttingly secured to said apron, a

compartment, a waste branch from said recessed tub portion extending into said compartment, a section of soil stack within said compartment connected to said soil and waste branches and adapted to be connected to an installed soil stack of a building.

4. A unitary preassembled bathroom equipage comprising a bathtub having a front apron, a

lavatory mounted on the bathtub in a manner whereby the bathtub serves as the sole pedestal therefor, a section of soil stack and branch pipes therefrom connecting said bathtub, water closet and lavatory accessibly concealed between said apron and bathtub.

5. A unitary preassembled bathroom equipage comprising a bathtub having a front apron, a water-closet abuttingly secured to said apron, a lavatory mounted on the bathtub in a manner whereby the bathtub serves as the sole pedestal therefor, a section of soil stack and branch pipes therefrom connecting said bathtub, water closet and lavatory accessibly concealed between said apron and bathtub, and a section of water supply piping and branches therefrom connecting said lavatory and water-closet also accessibly concealed behind said apron.

MORRIS SHAPIRO. 

